CINCINNATI (9-7) At HOUSTON (10-6)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m., NBC
OPENING LINE - Texans by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Cincinnati 8-6-2; Houston 11-5
SERIES RECORD - Series tied 3-3
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (19), PASS (20)
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (10), PASS (9)
TEXANS OFFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (2), PASS (18)
TEXANS DEFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (4), PASS (3)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Houston has won last three over Cincinnati. Texans clinched first AFC South title and playoff spot in franchise history by beating Bengals 20-19 at Paul Brown Stadium on Dec. 11. ... Bengals haven't won playoff game since the end of 1990 season, when they beat Houston Oilers 41-14. They lost playoff games at Paul Brown in 2005 to Steelers and 2009 to Jets. This is only their third playoff appearance in last 21 years. ... Took Texans 10 years to reach playoffs for first time, longest streak of any expansion team. ... It's first playoff game since AFL-NFL merger in 1970 featuring two rookie quarterbacks. Bengals took Andy Dalton in second round. Texans got T.J. Yates in fifth round. ... Dalton grew up in Houston suburb of Katy and is 3-0 at Reliant Stadium after winning two high school playoff games there and getting a win in Texas Bowl while at TCU. ... Dalton started all 16 games. Yates got in for last five after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart got hurt. ... Dalton missed practice Wednesday because of bad case of flu, but returned a day later. ... Over last six games, Dalton threw five touchdowns and only one interception in 184 attempts. ... During loss to Houston last month, Dalton and Bengals offense had miserable second half, blowing 6-3 lead. They managed 81 yards in second half, including only 9 yards on 14 rushes. Dalton fumbled on second play of half to start Houston's comeback and was 7 of 11 for 77 yards after halftime. ... Yates had biggest game of season at Cincinnati, completing 26 of 44 for 300 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He led Texans 80 yards in closing minutes, throwing 6-yard TD pass to Kevin Walter with 2 seconds left to win it. ... Bengals worked out in bitter conditions early in week - wind chills in teens - at Paul Brown Stadium. They don't have covered practice field. Reliant Stadium has retractable roof. ... It's first playoff game in Houston since Jan. 16, 1994 - a span of 6,565 days - when Kansas City Chiefs beat Houston Oilers 28-20. ... Houston RBs Arian Foster (1,224) and Ben Tate (942) were only teammates in NFL to run for at least 900 yards apiece this season. ... Bengals had season-high five sacks in last game against Houston. ... Houston WR Andre Johnson has 19 catches for 278 yards in last two games against Bengals. He sat out win in Cincinnati with pulled hamstring. ... Cincinnati receiver A.J. Green's 1,057 yards receiving are most by rookie in franchise history. He'll be covered by CB Johnathan Joseph, who left Bengals as free agent after last season. Joseph was first-round draft pick by Bengals in 2006 and spent five seasons in Cincinnati. Green had five catches for 59 yards in their matchup last month.
